PATTERN OF RECOVERY OF SPECIES-SPECIFIC CUTICULAR HYDROCARBON MIXTURES BY RETICULITERMES SANTONENSIS AND RETICULITERMES LUCIFUGUS GRASSEI AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM A MIXED GROUP - IS THE ACQUISITION OF ALLOSPECIFIC HYDROCARBONS REVERSIBLE

Each of the termite species Reticulitermes santonensis and Reticuliter mes lucifugus grassei has its own particular cuticular chemical profil e. When members of the two species are placed together to form artific ially mixed species groups, their chemical profiles undergo changes: E ach species acquires all the hydrocarbons which initially characterize d the other species. When the members of a mixed group which had been kept together for 24 h were split into two homospecific groups, the cu ticular profiles of the members of both groups immediately showed a sh arp drop in both the homospecific and allospecific components. In R. s antonensis, the homospecific hydrocarbons subsequently increased in qu antity, reaching values which were higher on the 33rd day after the se paration than those initially recorded in this species; whereas in R. lucifugus grassei, the homospecific hydrocarbon proportions were still lower on the 33rd day than the initial values. In both species, the a llospecific hydrocarbon levels began to increase sharply on the 5th da y after separation, and the homospecific products still showed no tend ency to return to the initial proportions 33 days after separation. In the light of these results, some hypotheses are put forward as to wha t mechanisms might possibly regulate the hydrocarbon profiles of these two species. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.